Mysterio started wrestling in 1989 when he was 14. Now at the age of 48, he remains one of the
most popular wrestlers in WWE history with 24 championships in his decades-long career.
Mysterio was inducted by Konnan, his longtime friend, fellow wrestler, and mentor, who met
Mysterio at the age of 12.
“He was definitely an anomaly,” Konnan said.
Konnan spoke of Mysterio’s Luchador influence, hustle, determination, talent, and how he
revolutionized the business.
“If I were to be reincarnated, I’d want Rey to be my best friend again,” said Konnan.
Mysterio was trained by his uncle Rey Mysterio Sr. and wrestled in Mexico, where he learned the
Lucha Libre style that he is well known for. He adopted the ring names “La Lagartija Verde (The
Green Lizard)” and “Colibrí (Hummingbird) before his uncle gave him the name Rey Mysterio Jr,
in 1991.
During his acceptance speech, Mysterio recounted the start of his career, and thanked his wife
Angie, his late best friend Eddie Guerrero, the WWE Universe, and more.
Mysterio spoke about falling in love with the art of wrestling at an early age because of the
influence of his uncle Rey Misterio Sr. He recalled his long-time friendship and brotherhood with
Guerrero.
In the most emotional part of his speech, Mysterio thanked his wife Angie who put her medical
career aside to support his lifelong dream. In the final section of his speech, Mysterio thanked
WWE fans for their support.
“Last and certainly not least, I personally want to thank the WWE Universe,” Mysterio said. “I
personally believe that none of this would be possible without all of you… You guys have made
the name Rey Mysterio immortal.”
As Mysterio was about to deliver his acceptance speech, his son Dominik Mysterio along with
Judgement Day Partners, walked out. The deeply personal family feud stemmed from Eddie
Guerrero, who claimed to be Dominik’s real father during a feud with Rey.
Mysterio reassured fans that he would “take care of business” against his son at Night 1 of
WrestleMania 39 on April 2, which marked the first father vs. son matches on the Grandest
Stage of Them All since 2001 during WrestleMania 17. Rey Mysterio eventually claimed victory
over Dominik Mysterio.
